Electrical connectors – With supporting means for coupling part – Coupling part or mating part extending into panel opening
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-17
2001-12-25
Bradley, Paula (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With supporting means for coupling part
Coupling part or mating part extending into panel opening
C439S354000, C439S567000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06332806
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a fixing apparatus) for fixing a terminal of a control cable or the like, and more particularly to an apparatus for non-detachably fixing a terminal fixing metal fixture, mounted to a control cable, onto a bracket means provided properly in a vehicle such as automobile, construction machine or the like.
There is a control appliance or the like for realizing comfortable driving, such as power window, seat moving control, rotation control of seat-back leaning, rotation control of rear view mirror, antenna taking in and out, as well as a rotation appliance for improving the vital performance to a vehicle such as optimum consumption control of an engine mounted in an automobile, a construction machine or the like, electrically-driven hydraulic control such as a pivot rise, fall control of the arm of a power steering, power shovel, and a control appliance mounted on the vehicle.
Accordingly, space for engine room is much narrowed, and therefore, various types of appliances demand much smaller size and lighter weight, and easier mounting.
To satisfy the requirements, each of special manufacturers of the control cable or the like is engaged with the development of an apparatus wherein the control cable or the like can be easily fixed on a car body.
As an apparatus wherein such a control cable or the like can be easily fixed onto a car body is disclosed a fixing apparatus (hereinafter referred to as “conventional technology
1
”) composed of a socket
32
mounted on the terminal of a cable
31
as shown in
FIG. 5
, having two flanges
34
a
and
34
b
with a groove
33
grasped between them, a bracket
35
having an approximately circular hole
35
a
allowing the groove
33
of the socket
32
to be detachably received in, a clip
36
having a bulge portion
36
c
engaged between either of two flanges
34
a
and
34
b
, and the bracket
35
, as shown in, for example, Japanese Examined Utility Model Publication No. 35176/1995.
In the case of the conventional technology
1
, the groove
33
of a socket
32
mounted on the terminal of the cable
31
is engaged with a hole
35
a
of a bracket
35
. Then, the clip
36
is formed on the top portion of the clip between the flange
34
b
and the bracket
35
. By hitting the flat portion
36
b
with a hammer or the like, it is inserted in a wedge shape, elastically deforming the bulge portion
36
c
. When the clip
36
is inserted into a given position of the bracket
35
, a projection
36
a
is engaged with a concave portion
35
b
formed in the bracket
35
.
In the conventional technology
1
, the clip
36
is fixed so as not to be disengaged from the bracket
35
by frictional force through elastic stability force caused in the bulge portion
36
c
when the clip
36
is engaged with the bracket
35
. Thus, the clip of the conventional technology
1
has some thickness and some rigidity. The engagement of the clip
36
has to be hit with a hammer or the like. Space for lowering the hammer is required to be provided on the periphery of the bracket.
In the case of fixing apparatus of the conventional technology
1
, the socket
32
is fixed by the elastic stability force of the clip
36
. When a pushing operation force is added to the control cable, the reaction force is supported by a bracket through the clip
36
. The clip
36
is caused to deflect, thereby causing stroke loss. Furthermore, when a repetitive operation is conducted with high load, fatigue failure can be caused in the clip.
In Japanese Examined Utility Model Publication No. 32499/1994 is mounted is disclosed a fixing apparatus (hereinafter referred to as “conventional technology
2
”) composed of a socket
42
mounted on the terminal of a cable
41
as shown in
FIG. 6
, having two flanges
44
a
and
44
b
with a groove
43
grasped between them, a bracket
45
having an approximate hole
45
a
allowing the groove
43
of the socket
42
to be detachably received in, a clip
46
having a bulge portion
46
c
engaged between flanges
44
a
and the bracket
45
, as shown in, for example, Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 32499/1994.
The configuration of the conventional technology
2
is almost identical to that of the conventional technology
1
. The problem points of the conventional technology
2
are similar to those of the conventional technology
1
.
It is an object of this invention to provide a fixing apparatus for fixing the terminal of a control cable or the like, wherein the problem points of the conventional technologies
1
and
2
are removed, excessive space is not required for a mounting operation, the mounting is extremely easy to conduct, and the stroke loss is not caused in the control cable system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A fixing apparatus in one embodiment of this invention is composed of a fixing means which is provided in a given position of a vehicle such as automobile, construction machine, a terminal fixing metal fixture fixed to the terminal of the control cable being engaged with a bracket means without substantial play in the axial direction whereby stroke loss is not caused in the control cable system, and is provided for non-detachably fixing the terminal fixing metal fixture from the bracket means.
A fixing apparatus of this invention fixes the terminal of the control cable through a terminal fixing metal fixture provided in the terminal of the control cable on a flat-plate bracket means provided in a given position of a vehicle such as automobile, construction machine or the like,
the terminal fixing metal fixture, approximately cylindrical, composed of a main body with a groove being formed on its external peripheral surface, and a notch portion is formed in the bracket means with at least its upper portion being opened and its lower portion being semi-circular,
a fixing means is desirably provided for non-detachably fixing a terminal fixing metal fixture engaged with the notch portion with the side edge of the notch portion being engaged with the groove, and the width of the groove being slightly larger than the thickness of the bracket means as the terminal fixing metal fixture is non-movable in its axial direction.
The fixing means is desirable to be a spacer interposed between either of at least a first portion and a second portion, and a bracket means, of the first and second portions defined by a groove formed in the main body portion of the terminal fixing metal fixture, to close the opened top portion of the notch portion, and form a tongue piece to be engaged with a slit formed in the bracket means.
The spacer is desirable to be engaged between the first portion and the bracket means, and between the second portion and the bracket.
The spacer is desirable to be interposed in a condition where an urged force is given between the first portion and the bracket means or between the second portion and the bracket means.
A gap between a groove formed in the main body portion of the terminal fixing metal fixture and a thickness of a bracket means to be engaged in the groove is desirable to be 0 or more, and about 0.8 mm or less.
At least one concave portion is formed between the first portion and the bracket means or between the second portion and the bracket means, and a projection to be engaged with the concave portion is desirable to be formed in a spacer.
An apparatus in another embodiment of this invention is composed of a fixing means which is engaged with a bracket means provided in a given position of a vehicle such as automobile, construction machine or the like, a terminal fixing metal fixture fixed to the terminal of the control cable from the bracket means being engaged with without substantial play in the axial direction, and is provided for non-detachably fixing the terminal fixing metal fixture.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4352538 (1982-10-01), Fowler
patent: 5127852 (1992-07-01), Cravens et al.
patent: 5205759 (1993-04-01), Haderer
patent: 5347882 (1994-09-01), Klotz
patent: 5590023 (1996-12-01), Hernandez et al
Ishikawa Takashi
Yasui Katunori
Antonelli Terry Stout & Kraus LLP
Bradley Paula
Leon Edwin A.
Nippon Cable System Inc.
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